#89

Stalking The Elusive Loon

What draws you in to the extent that you are totally absorbed? So captivated by the activity you are doing that you lose track of time. You may even forget to eat.

Chances are there are a few areas of your life where you experience this. Maybe when you are out on your bike, watching a movie, going for a walk, creative writing, driving through some beautiful scenery, or nose deep in a book. So why is it important?

These past ten days I’ve been lucky enough to spend time at a cottage on a lake in the Laurentians, Eastern Canada. St. Anne des Lacs is fairly typical of the area with tree-laden mountains rising up from the edges of the multiple lakes. And I have found myself obsessed with hopping in a kayak and striking out in search of loons.

There are many other critters here. Muskrats, beavers, different species of ducks, multiple varieties of birds (including gorgeous jewel-like hummingbirds)…but it is the loon I am fascinated by. Why? I think because they are elusive (you have to sneak up on them) and just floating nearby until they trust you feels like a privilege. It is a fun challenge catching photos of them because it is so hard to get close. They are so beautiful, almost regal the way they sit on the water. They can swim underwater for impressive lengths of time so I am always on the look-out for where they pop up next. And the calls they make are magical. It takes me right back to childhood when I saw that classic movie ‘On Golden Pond’.

I guess it doesn’t really matter why I’m drawn to this. It makes me happy, so I do it. So when you find something that puts you in that state of ‘flow’ I suggest you simply go for it. Start to notice the things in your life that have that kind of pull. The ‘healthy’ things, anyway! And, at the risk of stating the obvious, when you have the time do more of them, because it is a great way of living in the moment.

For any fellow loon-lovers here is a little video I took of two of them playing  ͡❛ 𝆒 ͡❛)👍